Real-Life Decision Making
Marketing people are responsible for coming up with ideas that sell. Packaging
engineers are responsible for making the product a reality for the least amount
of money. How do they work together?
"The typical packaging engineer for a large company starts with the requirements
for marketing, when marketing has their fondest dreams of what this new container
should look like -- the shape, size, decoration, etc.," says Ronald Keller.
He runs a packaging firm.
"Of course, they want it into production yesterday, with minimum money
and labor, and at a very high speed."
Your first job out of college is as a packaging engineer for Crunchy Critter
Cookies, and you're thrilled with your new position. While your education
prepared you for the job, you know you still have a lot to learn about the
industry.
Crispy Critters just hired Ben Smith, a marketing whiz. Many people in
the company are glad to have him on side because his ideas helped boost sales
of Flake-E-Flake Cereal for two years in a row. They're hoping he'll
do the same for Crunchy Critter.
"Usually, a big company has what is called a new package task force or
product task force," says Keller. "People in marketing and engineering meet
about once a month and talk about new dreams in marketing."
Of course, Crunchy Critter Cookies is no exception. One day, in a new package
task force meeting, Smith presents his packaging idea for a new product. He
assures everyone in the meeting that if the company goes with his idea, sales
for the new animal-shaped cookies will soar.
The others on the marketing team love it, a few on the production team
love it, and most importantly, upper management loves it...but you have your
doubts.
"Marketing presents the ideas, then everyone goes off to calculate the
problem to see if it makes sense," says Keller.
After deciding that new machinery will be needed to produce the product
exactly as proposed, and after calculating approximate figures for production
costs, you decide to advise against the new product package.
In passing, you mention to Smith that there might be a problem with the
item as far as cost is concerned. Before the next meeting, Smith visits you
in your office and suggests that you give his project the go-ahead for production.
After all, he says, since you are lacking in experience, maybe you should
leave this decision to a "professional."
You know he is highly regarded by the top man, and you realize that you
have a lot to learn yet.
What do you do?